Calibrachoa plant named ‘Calpriwi’

ABSTRACT

A new  Calibrachoa  plant named ‘Calpriwi’ particularly distinguished by the cultivar has medium to large sized, white colored flower, semi-trailing plant habit, medium green foliage, is very early to flower and is more floriferous throughout the season.

Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: Calibrachoa spp.

Varietal denomination: ‘Calpriwi’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new Calibrachoa, botanically known as Calibrachoa spp., and hereinafter referred to by the variety name ‘Calpriwi’.

‘Calpriwi’ is a product of a planned breeding program. The new cultivar has medium to large sized, white colored flowers, semi-trailing plant habit, medium green foliage, is very early to flower and is more floriferous throughout the season.

‘Calpriwi’ originated from a hybridization made in May 2004 in a controlled breeding environment in Enkhuizen, Netherlands. The female parent was the unpatented proprietary plant designated ‘E0139-1’, with light pink flowers, a more trailing plant habit and is later to flower.

The male parent of ‘Calpriwi’ was an unpatented proprietary plant identified as ‘C4458-1’ with white flowers, a little more upright habit, fewer branches and is less floriferous. The resultant seed was sown in February 2005.

‘Calpriwi’ was selected as one flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in May 2005 a controlled environment in Enkhuizen, Netherlands.

The first act of asexual reproduction of ‘Calpriwi’ was accomplished when vegetative cuttings were propagated from the initial selection in May 2005 in a controlled environment in Enkhuizen, Netherlands.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Horticultural examination of plants grown from cuttings of the plant initiated in May 2005, and continuing thereafter, has demonstrated that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for ‘Calpriwi’ are firmly fixed and are retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction.

‘Calpriwi’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity and day length.

Plant Breeder's Rights for this cultivar were applied for in Canada on Feb. 9, 2010 (#10-6822) and in CVPO on Sep. 29, 2009 (#2009/1909). ‘Calpriwi’ has not been made publicly available more than one year prior to the filing of this application.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be basic characteristics of the new variety. The combination of these characteristics distinguishes this Calibrachoa as a new and distinct variety.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographic drawing shows typical flower and foliage characteristics of ‘Calpriwi’ with colors being as true as possible with an illustration of this type.

The photographic drawing shows a flowering potted plant of the new variety and a close-up of the flowers.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs were taken in April 2010 from plants growing in a greenhouse trial in Gilroy, Calif. USA. These plants were growing in 4 inch pots and were approximately 15-16 weeks of age.

The plant descriptions and measurements were taken in mid May 2010 in Hillscheid, Germany on 9 week old plants that were growing in 12 cm pots and were grown without pinching, on benches in a greenhouse at a minimum temperature (heating temperature) of 12° C.

Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart (R.H.S.) 2001.

TABLE 1 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE NEW VARIETY ‘CALPRIWI’ AND A SIMILAR VARIETY ‘Cal White’ (U.S. Plant ‘Calpriwi’ Pat. No. 14,497) Stem internode length: Shorter Longer Pedicel length: Slightly shorter Slightly longer Foliage width: Wider Narrower Sepal length: Longer Shorter

-   Plant:     -   -   Form, growth and habit.—Initially mounding, then more             spreading and decumbent, pinching enhances the number of             branches.         -   Plant height.—4.5-8.0 cm.         -   Plant height (inflorescence included).—5.0-8.5 cm.         -   Plant width.—31-35 cm. -   Roots:     -   -   Number of days to initiate and produce roots.—18-24 days at             about 22 degrees C.         -   Type.—Fine, fibrous, free branching.         -   Color.—RHS N1558D. -   Foliage:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.         -   Immature, leaf color, upper surface.—RHS 138A.         -   Lower surface.—Closest to RHS 138B.         -   Mature, leaf color, upper surface.—Closest to RHS 137C.         -   Lower surface.—Between RHS 138A and RHS 144B.         -   Length.—3.2-3.8 cm.         -   Width.—1.2-2.0 cm.         -   Shape.—Elliptical.         -   Base shape.—Acuminate.         -   Apex shape.—Obtuse.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture, upper surface.—Dense covered with short glandular             hair.         -   Lower surface.—Dense covered with short glandular hair.         -   Color of veins, upper surface.—RHS 144A.         -   Color of veins, lower surface.—RHS 144A.         -   Petiole color.—RHS 144B.         -   Length.—0.2-0.5 cm.         -   Diameter.—0.2 cm.         -   Texture.—Short glandular hairs. -   Stem:     -   -   Quantity of main branches per plant.—13-18.         -   Color of stem.—RHS 145A or slightly deeper.         -   Length of stem.—15-19 cm.         -   Diameter.—0.2-0.3 cm.         -   Length of internodes.—0.5-1.7 cm.         -   Texture.—Dense, mostly glandular hairs of various lengths.         -   Color of pedicel.—RHS 144B.         -   Length of pedicel.—2.0-2.3 cm.         -   Diameter of pedicel.—0.1 cm.         -   Texture of pedicel.—Densely covered with short glandular             hairs. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Type.—Flowers solitary in upper leaf axis; flowers face             mainly horizontally, mostly 5-fused lobes forming a funnel             form flower. Continuous flowering throughout the Summer.         -   Quantity of inflorescences per plant.—Approximately 40-50.         -   Lastingness of individual blooms on the plant.—About 7-9             days.         -   Fragrance.—None. -   Bud (just when opening/showing color):     -   -   Color.—Upper part RHS 150D to RHS 4D; basally RHS 150C.         -   Length.—1.8-2.4 cm.         -   Width.—0.4-0.9 cm.         -   Shape.—Oblong. -   Immature inflorescence:     -   -   Flower horizontal diameter.—3.0-3.4 cm.         -   Color petals, upper surface.—RHS 155D but whiter.         -   Color petals, lower surface.—RHS 155A with RHS 154C             mid-veins. -   Mature inflorescence:     -   -   Flower horizontal diameter.—3.4-3.8 cm.         -   Flower height (vertical).—2.2-2.4 cm.         -   Color petals, upper surface.—RHS 155D but whiter.         -   Color petals, lower surface.—RHS 155D but whiter with RHS             150C mid-veins.         -   Apex shape.—Truncate to slightly retuse.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Waviness of petals.—Slight.         -   Petal lobation.—Relatively little.         -   Petal texture, upper surface.—Papillose, glabrous.         -   Petal texture, lower surface.—Papillose; very short             glandular hair mostly at the margins and along the veins.         -   Corolla tube color outside.—RHS 3C to RHS 3D with RHS 150C             to RHS 154C weak veins.         -   Inside.—RHS 2A to RHS 2C with slight veins of about RHS 154C             becoming indistinct.         -   Corolla tube length.—1.5-1.8 cm.         -   Corolla texture, outside.—Hairs along the protruding veins.         -   Inside.—Papillose. -   Sepals:     -   -   Color, upper surface.—RHS 137C slightly lighter basally.         -   Lower surface.—RHS 137D, slightly lighter basally.         -   Length.—1.8-2.1 cm.         -   Width.—0.4-0.5 cm.         -   Shape.—Lanceolate.         -   Apex shape.—Acute.         -   Based.—Fused.         -   Margins.—Entire.         -   Texture, upper surface.—Densely covered with short glandular             hairs.         -   Lower surface.—Densely covered with short glandular hairs. -   Reproductive organs:     -   -   Pistil.—1.         -   Length.—0.8-0.9 cm.         -   Style color.—RHS 145A.         -   Style length.—0.6-0.7 cm.         -   Stigma color.—RHS 143C.         -   Stamens.—5.         -   Color of filaments.—RHS 4D to RHS 155A.         -   Length filaments.—0.5-1.0 cm.         -   Anther color.—RHS 5C.         -   Anther length.—0.1 cm.         -   Anther shape.—Elliptical.         -   Color of pollen.—RHS 10D.         -   Pollen amount.—Moderate.         -   Fertility/seed set.—Has not been observed on this hybrid. -   Disease/pest resistance: Disease/pest resistance has not been     observed on this hybrid. 

1. A new and distinct variety of Calibrachoa plant named ‘Calpriwi’ substantially as illustrated and described herein. 